THE LIGHTER SIDE CAFE THURSDAY JUNE 11

Hi all and good morning from a windy and humid Massachusetts.  THe air is already very heavy and I flipped the A/C on this morning and am starting to feel better.  

Pam, there's not one of us who haven't felt what you felt yesterday about all that is missing and gone from our lives.  You are not alone and we are here for you! I am sorry you had such a rough day.  I've had a few very down days when I feel I can't get "out of my own way" or have little motivation or energy to do much.  Often I just feel "weird" and out of sorts and extra tired.  Like you, Pam, my DH is also a bit of a loner and basically, his lifestyle and work has not changed one iota.
  To counter these feelings,  I made a little list of all the good things that have come out of COVID - not the virus itself but the confinement.  For the most part, I like working from home and the freedom it lets me have.  I have found time to cook better meals, eat earlier, play the ukulele, read more, do a bit of knitting and so forth.  More time to be reflective and to just think rather than the everyday racing around here and there and working 9 hours a day. But, like you, I really miss my family most of all and pine for those grandchildren.  I'm thankful for Facetime and hoping they won't forget us. :-) I think the biggest thing that has helped me is the music and the ukulele! I've also realized how much I don't need in my life - materially mostly. My mom said at least 1000 times - People are more important than things. We all know it, but this brings it into even sharper focus. Hang in there and feel free to talk openly here. 

I decided to bite the bullet and have dinner with one friend.  She has a lot going on in her life, and it'll feel good to chat and listen. She has chosen two reputable restaurants in Worcester - VIAs and the Chophouse, Ann.  Both have reservations for socially distanced outdoor meals. I am sure their requirements are stringent for workers, etc.  But, the question is whether we will even be able to get in - so few get reservations. We'll see.  I am a little nervous but baby steps...and a couple hours outside with another person who has been very confined will help. 

My weight was the same again today.  I've decided to add in a couple protein snacks to hopefully move that scale down.  I had a half of a WW English muffin with a tsp of peanut butter and two soft boiled eggs for breakfast. I'm plenty full. Lunch will be a salad with a chicken thigh.  Dinner is another Hello Fresh meal - Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Bolognese.  I'll cut back to 2/3 portion.  It is higher in calories. Much as I love these meals, I think they might be the culprit so I'll either have to cut portions a bit more or stop them altogether.  DH loves them so much and says they are comparable to his favorite restaurants.  

I'll BBL. Have a great day all. 

Good morning Cafe Dwellers!

Thank you all for your support and kind words. I love being able to safely vent here. Today, the sun is shining bright, the temp and humidity are down and I have already completed a 2.6 mile walk. I am determined to look on the bright side of things and follow the Serenity Prayer --not dwell on things over which I have no control. I'm gonna "let go and let God".

Breakfast is more pineapple, yogurt and seeds. Dinner will be grilled chicken, potato salad, corn, tomatoes and green beans. We are making good use of all the fresh garden vegetables. Lunch is yet to be determined.

Ann - If I have to take Benedryl, I am good for nothing but a nap the rest of the day. Take it easy. Maybe the high humidity will bring you some showers to settle the pollen for a bit.

Judy - Thanks for the idea of listing my blessings! There's an old song that advises us to "accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative" and that is my plan for today. I am also tentatively planning a lunch out for us with a dear friend and her husband on July 7. She comes to BTR once per year for her annual gyn checkup and we usually meet for lunch at a restaurant. It is large with lots of seating available, so hopefully they can accommodate us with proper social distancing. She has COPD, so is being very careful.

Sue - I'm so glad you will have school this fall! I know that must have given you a mental boost. It also gives me confidence that my DGD will be able to start kindergarten.

I am back from my first walk.  It is almost 70 outside and sunny but with a great breeze.  In fact, I put a lightweight hoodie over my short-sleeved t-shirt, and was quite comfortable.  I remembered to do my cat/cow stretches before I went, applied the Homedics massager to my low back, and swathed it with Icy Hot. It is getting better day by day, but no quick fix in sight.

Pam ~ I am so glad you are feeling better today.  The Serenity Prayer does it for me every time.  I also had an AA sponsor years ago who recommended making a gratitude list every morning - and that does the trick for me as well.  When we were first into stay-at-home, I remember saying to DH that we COULD be stuck at home with 3-4 small children!  That made his head snap and he went into gratitude mode and has pretty much stayed there.  (Just the thought .....)  Your dinner sounds divine!!  Good idea planning your lunch out well in advance, and sounds like you've picked the perfect place. We know we will all go someday .....

Ann ~ Hopefully the rain will wash away the pollen.  The other evening when DH and I went outside to sit, I was brushing at a yellow coating on our table (that we hadn't used for a while) and asked him what he thought it was, and he quickly answered "pollen".  I should have known ..... I had been sneezing and blowing my nose, even though I take allergy meds. You gave me the greatest idea - BBQ baby back ribs for the 4th of July. We customarily attend a big festival on the 4th, but it is cancelled this year (as is everything).  So we can have our own celebration at home!! Now that I think about it, we had ribs on Mother's Day too (when we usually go out).  A friend of mine from school at one point posted on FB "Everything's cancelled! Might as well put up the Christmas tree and call it a year".  I read that to DH and he cracked up and has repeated it back to me several times to lighten a moment.

Judy ~ Congrats on staying the same on WI.  Remember that curve doesn't always go steadily downward, it goes in fits and starts.  I think you are definitely on the right track with watching your portions. In my case I tend to plod along the same or minute losses, then a sudden drop!!  Hang in there and keep doing what you're doing.  I am sure you will be happy with your decision to have lunch with one friend.  I will start that way - when I do start venturing out.  My VBF and I talked about it, and we may start slow with coffee at Starbuck's - sitting outdoors. Otherwise my first supper venture will be with DH, who isn't too sure he is ready yet.  The protests the past couple of weeks has made us both leery of a sudden spike in our area in a week or two.  Of course, we can't stay indoors forever because of "what if" but I feel confident we will know "when".

As far as curbside, we have only had a handful. Most of ours were from favorite restaurants where DH went and did a repair to keep them up and running, and they sent him home with a carry out container. We did order the fish & chips a while back which ended up being a disappointment.  I am currently of the mind that food just isn't good in white styrofoam containers (at least hot food). But fortunately a lot of places around us have outdoor seating and this is definitely the season for it.  But we're still in "wait and see" mode too.

I made poached eggs this morning with grits for me and Seeduction toast for DH paired with a fruit bowl of pineapple, strawberries and blueberries.  Tonight's supper will be tossed salad topped with Barley Tex-Mex Salad and sliced rotisserie chicken breast.  No cooking for me tonight as DH will make the salad and I'll just add the toppings. Lunch is still up in the air, but I have an abundance of SP to "play with".

BBL. Make a great day!!

Hey again all,

This bit of gloomy day is passing by slowly.  It's good we are getting rain, though.  We are in a drought and we really need it plus, as Ann said, it will wash away some pollen.  If I didn't take a prescription Singular every day, I'd be having a very hard time with asthma with all this pollen.  Sheesh.  It's a miracle drug for me. 

I succeeded in using up both heads of cauliflower. I made the cauliflower mash from an easy recipe on All Recipes.  Only added garlic and some LF sour cream and used the food processor. I love it, but it does not remind me of mashed potatoes but rather of a squash or something like that.  I also added about 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan.  

Sue, i am glad you are headed back to school. I know it'll be a different world than you are used to in school. At the college, they are spending over $1M to bring everything up to COVID-safety standards and there will be a ton of new partitions, testing, masks, dorm changes, yikes! In fact, they have already said that anyone with even a cold will have to remain home for two weeks.  I have to say another blessing of this horrible virus is the fact that I have not had one cold or even sniffle being home.  Never have I felt healthier! We will be heading back in the fall, too, if all goes well and there is not an increase in cases.  LIke Ann, I try not to watch too much news.  

Pam, I am glad you are having nicer weather and feeling good today.  We all have our ups and downs!  Your garden sounds so wonderful.  How great to be able to have such tasty, fresh produce in the backyard.  

Ann, yes, I remember some of those places on Shrewsbury Street now dubbed "restaurant row."  My dad used to love to go to D'erricos.  Did you grow up in the neighborhood?  So many great restaurants now.  My friend made a reservation at The Sole Proprietor for a couple weeks away at 5 PM.  Early in--nice visit and home early.  Another benefit of being home - I can have dinner earlier! 

Off to read my book - The Murder List.  I like it a lot.  Then I need to put on Leslie Sansone and get some steps in! Which reminds me, WOW Ann on all those steps.  Never have I walked 17K steps!!! TTFN...

Ann, it broke my heart when they tore down Our Lady of Mount Carmel, too.  Such a gorgeous cathedral!  They do not build churches and cathedrals like that anymore and I cannot imagine anyone in Italy or Europe taking down such an historical, religious building.  But, I think the Church did not want to spend the money to restore it and make it safer.  So sad.  I think Shrewsbury Street itself is a very nice place, but I don't know your exact street.  Sad to see your neighborhood decline.  :-(   You really are a true Worcester Italian and I love that!! I lived until I was 7 in Worcester off Institute Road near WPI if you know that area Right near Tech Market.